A Snowball's Chance
by GibbsGirl219
Summary: Established TIVA relationship. When Ziva goes home for a visit, Tony realizes just how strong his feelings for her are.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is just a little TIVA fic that the plot bunnies wouldn't give up, no matter how many carrots I offered them. It may be a little more OOC than my usual fics, and will probably be three chapters. I'll definitely finish it this week. Hopefully, it doesn't completely suck. Enjoy and review please :) Thanks!

*****

Ziva reached for her cell phone, distracted by Tony, who was kissing her neck and trying to drag her back into bed. She punched him in the arm and flipped open her phone.

"Ow!" Tony whispered.

"David."

"Ziva, it's Jenny. Are you on your way to NCIS yet?"

"Not yet, we were-I was- just leaving."

"You have a call in MTAC from Tel Aviv in one hour."

"I will be there. Thanks, Jen."

"No problem. Tell Tony I say 'hi'."

Ziva grinned and hung up.

"What was that about?"

"Jen says 'hi'. And I have a satellite call from Tel Aviv this morning."

"Daddy dearest?"

"Probably."

She began to button her shirt and he pouted at her.

"You hurt my arm."

Ziva rolled her eyes before smiling at him.

"My poor baby. Shall I kiss it and make it better?"

"Yes, please," he grinned.

Ziva kissed his bicep gently, laughing when he pulled her on top of him.

"Tony!" she protested, "We must get going."

"No," he said firmly, rolling on top of her and kissing her nose.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around him. Tony smiled down at her and kissed her hard, his tongue teasing hers before his teeth scraped over her bottom lip as he reluctantly pulled back.

"Okaaay. I guess we can go to work."

Ziva suddenly flipped them over so that she was on top, her hips straddling his.

"Not a chance."

Tony grinned victoriously and helped her undo the buttons she'd so recently fastened.

*****

Ziva rushed into MTAC, smoothing her curly hair and trying not to look like she'd just had incredibly hot sex with her partner. She nodded at the operator and her father's face filled the screen.

"You are late."

She rolled her eyes.

"I am sorry."

"You look well."

Ziva nodded.

"Thank you. As do you, Director."

Eli David cleared his throat in what Ziva was certain was a rehearsed gesture.

"Satellite time is costly. I will get to the point. I am considering terminating the Mossad liason position at NCIS."

He watched her face closely and saw what she attempted to cover.

"Abba...but...why?"

She knew she had made a mistake and she mentally chastised herself. Eli looked at her, a small smile on his lips.

"You wish to stay in Washington, then."

A statement, not a question.

Ziva nodded.

"Yes. I like my work at NCIS."

"Your work?"

"Yes..."

He raised an eyebrow and sighed. Ziva was careful not to fidget under the burden of his silence.

"Tell me...do you love him, Ziva?"

She froze.

"Did you think I would not find out? Your partner, Anthony DiNozzo. He has slept at your apartment nearly every night for the past five months."

Ziva's fists clenched, angry with herself. He had caught her off guard; she should have been expecting this. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and looked her father in the eye.

"Yes. I love him."

Chin up, defiant, she gave him her best imperious look, infuriated by his smile.

"Very well. You do not need to give me such a look. I am not without emotions, Bat. I do care for your happiness."

She stared silently at the screen and waited him out. Finally, he shrugged.

"Perhaps I will speak to Director Shepard about extending your contract, then. Two years?"

Ziva blinked.

"Toda, Abba. I-I do not know what to say."

He laughed.

"My Ziva? Speechless? This is a first, yes?"

She just smiled.

"We miss you here."

"I miss you, too."

"I think it is time for a visit."

"That would be-"

"Spending time with one's children is a true gift. It will be good to see you in person."

Her face reflected her surprise as she registered his agenda. After all, Eli David always had one.

"Abba, I cannot just-"

"I have booked your transport for tonight."

Her face showed her disbelief but his voice was firm.

"I am an old man, Ziva. You can give me one month. Especially when I am offering you two years. Come and visit with your family."

Ziva could not believe it. He had done it again, manipulated her using his unique mix of insistence and guilt, harnessing the power of a veiled threat and the obligations of love and duty. And, once again, he would win. She would accept his negotiation because it was easier than fighting him.

"Then I will see you tomorrow afternoon, Director."

He smiled in satisfaction and nodded his approval before his image disappeared from the screen.

*****

That evening, Tony followed Ziva around her apartment as she packed and explained the situation to him again. He was not taking the news of their forced separation well and Ziva was getting frustrated.

"Tony, please understand."

"So, you're going? Just like that?"

She shoved clothes into her duffel bag, shaking her head.

"I have to, Tony."

Her voice was strained and tired but he couldn't hear the rough emotions over the panic and anger that made his blood rush in his ears.

"He's your father, Ziva-"

"Yes! And my director as well. Why do you not understand this? I have no choice."

"You could choose me."

Tony could hear the petulance in his voice but he couldn't help it.

"I _am _choosing you, Tony! If I want to stay in America, I must give him this trip. Why are you making this so hard?"

"Oh, I'm making this hard for _you_? That's just great, Ziva."

She shook her head sadly, knowing that he was angry and would push her away no matter what she said. Zipping her suitcase, she glanced at the clock and sighed.

"I have to go."

"Then go."

She looked at him but he didn't raise his eyes from the floor.

"I love you. I will call you when I land."

He didn't answer and she turned away sadly.

*****

Ziva closed the door and walked out to the car service her father had sent. The driver took her bags and opened the door for her. Tears welled in her eyes as she slid into the backseat.

_He didn't say it back_.

The driver confirmed her airline and pulled away from the curb. Ziva wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her sweater and leaned back on the leather seat, closing her eyes as they came to a red light. She and the driver both looked up, startled by a bang on the trunk.

"Jesus Christ! Get a load of this maniac."

The driver leaned on his horn as Tony started pounding on the window, his eyes frantic.

"Oh!" Ziva shouted. "It is okay! That maniac belongs to me! Stop, please!"

The driver sighed and slid the car into park. Ziva opened the door and Tony dragged her up into his arms, breathing hard from chasing the car three blocks.

"Ziva! God, I'm sorry. I love you. I love you, you know that, right? I know you have to go and I'll be here when you get back. Okay?"

She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him.

"I love you so much, Tony. I will see you in a month. Call you later, okay?"

"Okay, baby."

He held her tight to him for a long moment before holding the car door for her, leaning in for one more kiss before shutting it.

"Ready, lady?"

She nodded at the driver and he pulled out into traffic. Ziva turned and watched Tony through the back windshield, standing still against the cold wind, his figure reducing in size as the distance between them increased.

*****

Tony was glad that Ziva wasn't close enough to see the tears that pricked his eyes or the sadness etched on his face. He'd gone back to her apartment and gotten drunk, passing out in time to catch a few hours sleep before work, a routine that would become very familiar in the long days without her.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Don't worry, nothing too ominous in this story, just fluff propped up by angst :)

I hope you like it, please review either way. Thanks for reading!

*****

Tony had been working even longer hours than usual, simply finding no reason to leave the office. He hadn't found a reason to eat much either, until Abby started blackmailing him at each meal with various fabricated photos of him in compromising positions.

Tonight, Gibbs had threatened to forcibly eject him from the building, gruffly insisting that he go home and rest. When Gibbs showed concern, Tony knew that he must be in bad shape.

He sighed as he walked out into the cold. It had been an unusually warm winter so far, but tonight the wind bit at his face and made him wish he'd worn a scarf. Something wet landed on his hair and he looked up just as it started to snow, powdery little crystals dotting the shimmery sidewalk.

"She missed it," he sad sadly to himself, tipping his head up to let the delicate snowflakes land on his face, tickling his skin before they dissolved.

"Who missed what?"

He turned and found Jenny watching him, her arms loaded with files, obviously headed to home for the evening. Tony took the stack from her.

"Ziva. She missed the snow. She loves the first snow."

Jenny studied him for a moment.

"Tony...you look like hell."

"Yeah," he sighed, "I know it."

She patted his cheek and smiled at him.

"You're really terribly sweet. She'll be back soon. What? Two more weeks, right?"

"15 days," he said miserably.

She tilted her head at him.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"She's coming back, I promise you."

He nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. Jenny had touched on his biggest fear. He knew Ziva loved him, but he was still afraid of losing her. To Mossad. To her father. To a bullet or a bomb.

He walked Jenny to her car and driver and attempted to wiggle out of her dinner invitation.

_Is it still an invitation when your boss asks and then shuts her car door before you can answer?_ he wondered as she rolled the tinted window down.

"Get in, DiNozzo."

"Yes, Director."

*****

"Yes, Director."

Ziva hung up the phone, having received instructions from her father that she was to lead a two-day dry mission that left the next afternoon.

A dry mission meant it was simple, reconnaissance or surveillance, no casualties expected. A wet mission was far more sobering, one where casualties were not only a possibility, they were inevitable and likely to be abundant. It was hard to say which she preferred. When she'd been younger, a wet mission had made her adrenaline pump, her body tense and relax in preparation, her confidence thrumming through her veins. Now, though she understood the necessity as well as anyone, wet missions made her reach for her necklace, too many faces flashing before her eyes as she tried to calm her heartbeat.

She sat in her childhood bedroom, gazing out the window at her favorite tree, the one she had climbed every day the summer she turned nine; before she'd lost her mother and before she'd started training, eager to enter her father's world at any price.

Shaking her head to clear it, she opened her window despite the air conditioning. It always felt good to be home, to smell the familiar scents of honeysuckle and jasmine; to savor the deliciousness of her favorite Israeli dishes; to have her mother tongue surround her and give her brain a break from constantly translating everything.

This trip was quite different than those she'd taken in the past. She missed Tony with a ferocity that startled her. At night, she closed her eyes and wished she was in her own apartment in D.C., curled against his warm body, his strong arm draped over her as his chest rose and fell evenly.

He'd made an effort to sound upbeat on their few phone calls, even trying to tease her about McGee sitting at her desk, but she could hear the underlying strain in his voice. According to Abby's e-mails, he looked even worse than he sounded, constantly hungover and exhausted from the dreamless sleep that only claimed him in the early morning hours.

Ziva sighed and slipped into her bed, wishing she could touch him, soothe him, kiss him. Wishing his big, slightly rough hands were on her body. _15 days_. She sighed at the thought, rolling over and trying to fall asleep, picturing his twinkling eyes and broad grin.

*****

Ziva ate breakfast with her aunts and uncles the following morning, the seat at the head of the table conspicuously vacant. Resentment stirred within her. Her father had all but ordered her to make this trip and she had seen him only four times in the past two weeks.

Two of those times, he had invited eligible young Jewish men to dinner and seated them next to her. She had given him the benefit of the doubt the first time and ended up storming upstairs the second time.

Eli David was an enigma that she tried to avoid thinking about. It was impossible to reconcile the father who had tossed her in the air as a little girl and given her chocolate gelt on holidays with the man who she knew to be a brutal leader, by temperament as well as necessity.

She had witnessed his cruelty first-hand and although sepia-tinged memories of her youth were etched onto her heart, they were not enough to not blind her to the truth. Deep down, she knew that in Director David's mind even his children were dispensable, assets to be managed like any others.

She was dragged back to the present by a rapid-fire stream of Hebrew and she tried to smile, realizing that her relatives were teasing her, watching her prepare her coffee like an American. In truth, she favored tea with honey, but the rich smell of coffee reminded her of being home in America. Perhaps it was because of her close relationship with Gibbs, an equally determined and yet far more caring man than her father, that this particular scent evoked her new life at NCIS.

Another pang of loneliness overcame her as she wondered what the team was doing.

*****

Back in D.C., Gibbs looked across the bullpen and sighed. His senior field agent wasn't even trying to pretend to be okay anymore. Tony was slumped over his desk, his face in his hands, hiding his bloodshot eyes from the harsh artificial light. It had been three weeks since she'd left. Three weeks since he had last called McGee a name or gone to the gym or even smiled.

Gibbs finally crossed the room and handed him an envelope.

"Boss?"

The former marine rolled his eyes.

"Just open it, DiNozzo."

Tony raised his eyebrows and opened the envelope, looking at the contents carefully.

"What?"

Gibbs nodded patiently.

"You got me...a ticket...to Tel Aviv?"

He sighed at Tony's confused expression.

"Don't be an idiot, Tony. Get on the plane."

Tony nodded slowly and smiled.

"Yeah. Okay!"

He stood and started tossing random things into his bag; his cell phone, his stapler, his wallet, his paperweight. Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle as his senior field agent suddenly bear-hugged him.

"Thank you, boss."

Gibbs shrugged.

"Jenny's idea. Personally, I don't think you have a snowball's chance in hell."

Tony grinned, his smile seeming even wider and more infectious than usual after its prolonged absence.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, boss."

"Good luck, DiNozzo."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here is the conclusion. Sorry it took longer than I expected! Hope you like!

*****

Tony drove home as fast as he could. He flung some vaguely appropriate clothing into his suitcase and ran downstairs to hail a cab. At the last moment, he hurried back to retrieve his passport, pausing to open his top dresser drawer in consideration.

Fifteen minutes later, sitting in a taxi, he made up his mind.

"Excuse me," he tapped on the shield that separated him from the driver, "can you pull over for a second?"

The driver frowned but complied, indulging several of Tony's brief stops before resuming their trip to the airport.

*****

Too many hours and one layover later, Tony approached the David compound, presenting his NCIS identification, as well as his passport and a sealed letter from Jenny, addressed to the Director himself.

Nearly thirty minutes later he was unceremoniously searched and escorted to the main house, left in an office so plush and formal that it left no doubt as to its occupant. After just enough time to make Tony's palms start to sweat, Director Eli David walked in.

"Special Agent DiNozzo."

"Director David," Tony nodded as the older man took his seat behind his desk.

"You have come a long way."

"Yes."

Eli paused, evaluating the man before him, assessing which tactic to take. When Tony's eyes revealed nothing to him, he decided to jab and gauge the response.

"Your boss, Special Agent Gibbs...I get the sense that he does not like me."

Tony remained silent.

"And yet...he seems to care about Ziva a great deal, yes?"

"Yes," Tony answered simply.

"His _interest_ does not bother you?"

Tony laughed.

"No. Gibbs doesn't look at her like that. She's part of his team. He looks out for her, even when she doesn't want him to. He thinks of her like a..."

"Like a daughter?" Eli arched an eyebrow.

Tony had realized his misstep but he knew what he said was true and so he held his ground.

"Yes."

"I see. And why is it that Agent Gibbs, who is so fond of my Ziva, has such arbitrary contempt for me?"

Tony sighed, unwilling to step in a trap so cheaply baited.

"Let me be clear, Director David. I am not here on NCIS business, I'm here as Ziva's-"

"Partner? Lover? Boyfriend?"

Eli arched his eyebrow and Tony held his gaze.

"Yes. All of those things."

Ziva's father was silent for a long moment.

"Ziva is not here."

Tony felt his heart sink in his chest, concern quickly overriding his disappointment.

"Where-"

"She is on a mission and will return tomorrow afternoon. You may see her then. Now, I can see that you are tired. I will have my staff find a guest room for you and bring you something to eat."

*****

Tony collapsed onto the comfortable bed, rubbing his eyes in frustration. After all of his traveling, she wasn't here. He was only miles away from her yet he couldn't see her or touch her or even talk to her. Thoughts of her tormented him for awhile longer, but eventually jet-lag caught up to him, luring his eyes shut and deepening his breathing.

After a quick, awkward breakfast alongside Ziva's relatives, with Director David thankfully absent, Tony headed outside to wait for her to return from her Mossad exercise. He positioned himself under one of the few trees, his eyes directed towards the compound's front gate.

*****

Two hours later, Director David shook his head, watching the stubborn American from his office window. The NCIS agent refused to come inside, subjecting himself to the heat as his gaze remained fixed, his jaw set.

Eli's eyes were distracted as he saw movement at the gate. They were back.

He spotted Ziva riding in the back of a truck with his men. They had been successful, her upright posture and her content stillness indicative of satisfaction. He saw the American stand and shade his eyes, scanning the group for her.

At the sound of her name, Ziva turned and gasped. Tony was standing under her tree, his bright white smile on full display.

"Atzor!" she shouted up to the driver. _Stop_!

She jumped down from the truck and ran to Tony with a wide smile.

"Tony! What are you doing here?"

He grinned down at her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you, ninja."

"Oh! I missed you, too, my little hairy-butt."

Eli held his place at the window and watched his typically stoic child come to life. Even a man such as he was moved by the way the pair held each other, by the happiness on his daughter's face. She looked like her mother, just then, and he wondered why he had not seen that before.

He picked up the letter that Jenny had sent him, re-reading it, laughing when he reached the postscript.

_Dear Director David, _

_I hope this letter finds you and your family in abundant health and happiness. I beg your pardon for my lack of civility as I write in haste, my deadline an El Al flight out of Ronald Reagan Airport._

_Your daughter will tell you that NCIS has been kind and welcoming place for her. Ziva is an invaluable member of our team. We consider her family and she will tell you the same if you ask. I trust that you will receive Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo with the same level of warmth and hospitality. _

_I look forward to working with you, Director David, and I hope to see you at the Zurich conference in the spring. _

_Warm regards, _

_Jenny Shephard _

_P.S. They're in love, Eli. Don't be such an old mule. Just look at her face._

And so he did, observing Ziva's delight, her wide smile transforming her from the serious child he knew, the soldier, the warrior. As she reached up to cradle her lover's face and kiss him lightly, Eli chuckled, not in scorn or amusement, but in surprise; his Ziva, despite her training, was a woman after all.

*****

That evening, after they endured a lengthy dinner with the Director, Ziva and Tony poured themselves glasses of wine and went into the sunroom, the large panes of glass reflecting moonlit shadows over the floor. Tony sat beside her on a small sofa, kissing her gently before he interlaced his fingers with hers.

"I brought you something."

"You did?"

She smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I did," he confirmed.

He handed her a small ice chest and she eyed it with obvious suspicion, making him laugh.

"Go ahead, open it."

Ziva carefully removed the lid and peered down into the box. Tony watched her face light up with childlike delight.

"Tony! You brought me a snowball?"

He nodded.

"You missed the first snow. And I know how much you love it. So I brought you some."

Ziva held the freezing orb in her palm, staring at it for a moment before she kissed him, her free hand cupping his face.

"Toda, Tony."

He watched her laugh and gaze at the snowball, the rich sound combining with the happiness in her eyes to serve as his reward.

"How did you manage to get this on a plane?"

"It's a mystery," he shrugged, his eyes twinkling.

Tony watched as Ziva studied the snowball, her lips still curved in a surprised smile.

"Snow is really just water and ice and magic, did you know that, Ziva?" he whispered, gently brushing her hair back from her face.

"Magic?" she smiled at him, leaning against him slightly.

"Yes," he said mock-seriously, "You don't believe me?"

"Oh, of course I do," she grinned and patted his head.

"I'll prove it to you, if you want."

Ziva nodded and raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth quirked in amusement as he passed his hand over the snowball in slow circles.

"Watch closely, now, Zee-vah. Abracadabra..."

Tony slowly took his hand away and smiled at her.

"Look. Magic."

Ziva looked at her hand and gasped. Delicately nestled on top of the snowball was a diamond ring. Tony dropped to one knee as her mouth hung open in shock.

"Ziva. I love you so much. I was a jerk when you left because I got so scared."

She opened her mouth but he shook his head.

"I've been thinking and I realized that...I was afraid to lose you. That I never want to be apart from you. Ziva, you're the most important person in my life. I know we've only been dating for six months, but there's been something going on between us for years. I'll do everything...anything...to make you happy."

He grinned up at her, his blue eyes slightly blurred by tears.

"Ziva David, will you marry me?"

Tony took a deep breath as the seconds ticked by impossibly slowly. Ziva wordlessly placed the ring and the snowball on the table beside her. She looked into his eyes, sinking into the deep blue gaze that searched her face. Suddenly, she threw herself on top of him, kissing him and knocking them both to the ground as he laughed in surprise.

"Is that a 'yes', Sweetcheeks?"

She beamed at him.

"Ken. I mean, yes!"

"I love you, Ziva."

She rubbed her fingers along the muscles of his shoulders and kissed him softly.

"I love you, Tony."

She grinned and sat up to retrieve the ring, placing it in his palm and extending her hand, wiggling her fingers at him. Tony smiled, feeling his throat tighten with emotion as he slid the ring onto her finger. She kissed him again and he swiped his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping her tears away.

"Tony?"

He looked at her questioningly and she flashed him a reassuring smile.

"Do you know what I want?"

He gave her his trademark cocky grin.

"To marry me?"

"Yes," she purred.

"What else?" he asked, rubbing her back.

Ziva trailed her fingers over his chest.

"Mmmm...for you to take me upstairs and make love to me."

Tony smiled and nodded, helping her to her feet before easily lifting her up into a passionate kiss. He looked around nervously as they made their way into the hall.

"What?" she frowned, following his gaze.

"Is an alarm going to go off if I go into your bedroom?"

She laughed and he grinned, spurred on by her amusement.

"Are armed Mossad agents going to crash through the windows and parachute through the ceiling, Zee-vah?"

"Tony!"

Her body shook with laughter as she swatted at him and he relented, rubbing his thumb along her jaw line and over her lips. She bit him gently, murmuring an impatient sound as she tugged at his hand. They hurried up the stairs, both of them laughing happily.

*****

Having served its purpose, the snowball was forgotten and left to melt. Its crystals slowly separated and dissolved, leaving behind a glistening legacy; a puddle of water and ice and, of course, magic.


End file.
